Apophenia
by Ten-Faced
Summary: Collection of drabbles featuring a 'pairing', or just interaction between two characters. Continuation of the Unusual Pairings Project. 2. twinkle twinkle . stars look for answers while time marches on. – black mage/rhinne, white mage/rhinne.
1. Phantom x Mercedes

_desperate measures _

_kiss me, just once, for luck. – phantom/mercedes._

* * *

Hundreds of years ago when the Black Mage ran rampant the world was crumbling and chaotic but this –

This is total war. The War to end all Wars. The War of Worlds.

The Alliance is strong – she believes, she believes – and they continue to push on through sheer force and numbers. Perhaps Athena was right. Perhaps, no longer just five souls on a fool's quest, they can do this right this time around –

And then Aran falls, hit in the head by an enemy's lucky strike. The pole arm almost screams and a chill goes down her spine because it is raw, painful and so human-like. The swiftest of the Alliance, she is at the white-haired woman's side within mere seconds praying to the Spirit for her friend to live through this.

The warrior is not, but Mercedes sees that there is no hope. There is a noticeable dent in one side of her head and the long, beautiful snow-white hair is beginning to get dyed a red shade. An ugly, _blood_-red shade.

"Sorry, Maha," the warrior croaks and then the light in her blue eyes falls dim.

Mercedes stares for a grand total of three seconds before she whips around, guns aimed at the insolent fool who dared to –

Only to see that the culprit lies dead, a thousand cards embedded in his body to the point of being unrecognizable as a former living being. The thief stands over them, eyes not quite visible under his hat.

"Thank you," she says, because if Aran couldn't stand it –

(she chokes at the thought)

Then she would have fallen as well.

Phantom grabs the pole arm, ignoring the streaks of lightning burning his hands, and lays the most magnificent weapon across the hands of the fallen hero.

He dawdles, though. Just when she is about to chastise him for dragging his feet in battle of all places, he says something. "These desperate times call for desperate measures, your highness."

She isn't sure what he means – has it not been 'desperate times' ever since the Black Mage was unsealed? – and is wary at being called 'your highness' when he gives her a quick kiss on the lips.

Then, before she can kill him, he's gone.

. . .

_"Is it true that the kiss of a fairy queen brings victory?"_

_"I'm an elf," Mercedes says immediately._

_He gives her a look. "You didn't answer my question," he points out._

_She sighs, grumbles and curses Danika because it's got to be the Elder of War who's responsible for this. "Yes."_

_"Ah," he says and leans back against the tree, sunning himself like a lazy cat instead of training to face the Black Mage. _

_"Do not attempt to kiss Ephenia," she warns him. "She hates humans as it is. There's no need to make her hate them even more."_

_"Who said anything about kissing Ephenia?" he raises an eyebrow at her. "But, for the sake of argument, if _I_ kissed her she'd stop helping the Black Mage and hating humans as much as she does. Mr. Sunlight over there, on the other hand . . . ."_

_Their 'wonderful' conversation is terminated then when Luminous charges at him with his shining rod, intent on killing the thief._

. . .

Embarrassingly, she is knocked out during battle. She wakes in a field hospital, a potion dripping steadily into her veins. Just like how they left Aran after she became injured in the first stance against the Black Mage.

Mercedes rips the needle out of her arm and welcomes the pain. How many? How many has she lost this time?

She regrets asking the question when she recognizes the brown hair and the dragon headband, lying next to the unmoving last Onyx Dragon in the line of dead.

. . .

_"Did you kiss Freud?"_

_That's too far, even for him. She trains her eyes on the crossbow guns in her hand, knowing that she can't shoot him, he's an ally – _

_And, even if she could justify her action, the thought of the warmly-smiling dragon master stops any attempts of violence. So in the memory of the peacekeeper she does not shoot him. "No," she says and avoids the train of thought's logical destination._

_He is anything but clueless. He picks up the hint from her clipped answer, her body language, and leaves her alone._

. . .

Was it her fault? Perhaps if she kissed Freud, just once, for luck then maybe this wouldn't have had to happen. Phantom wouldn't have gotten to the 'desperate measures'. She had been the one to let it get to desperate measures. It's her fault.

Isn't it?

She shoves the voice of doubt away, refusing to wallow in guilt and maybes and what-ifs. Mercedes stands up, ignoring the pain in her legs.

He's in the ruined pavilion of Ereve. The bird lies in the pagoda, eyes closed and tears running down its pain-filled face like twin streams. Ereve is no longer in danger, no longer in need of its protective shields, but even if it were needed there is no way to channel Shinsoo's powers. Not anymore.

The last dragon. The last empress.

His eyes are blank. "It worked," he tells her when she comes close. "I wasn't there – got knocked out cold – but they tell me that he's gone now. It worked."

How many had she grown close to in the short time she'd been awake? How many had she lost?

Far too many. "Did it?"

Phantom pats her back and stands up. There is a blood stain on his left leg, one that is spreading fast, but he doesn't even seem to register it. "Of course it did."

* * *

Inspired by Marianas Trench's 'Desperate Measures'.


	2. BlackWhite Mage x Rhinne

_twinkle twinkle _

_stars look for answers while time marches on. – b__lack mage/rhinne, white mage/rhinne_

* * *

~white~

"It's said that this world is but a dream of yours, sleeping goddess."

"But are those sayings true? There have been gods before me in this world, who now lay entombed in the sands of forgetfulness behind the doors of this very temple."

"But you are the goddess now."

"Only because I have not been forgotten. Gods lose everything when they have been forgotten."

* * *

~black~

"Have you achieved what you have desired, Lucifer?"

"Lucifer . . . I have not been called that name in a long time."

"You have not met those that knew you as such. I knew you when you were Lucifer, back before you were the White Mage."

"And now, I am the Black Mage."

* * *

~white~

"But you are a goddess-"

"Even gods have rules they must abide to, and this is the law of the universe. No one must know of this secret, not even the Transcendents."

"I cannot accept that. There must be an answer to it all."

"The answer is to accept and to continue to walk down our paths."

"Of course _you_ would say that. If you had any true power, you would be able to prevent your downfall."

". . ."

"Why _do_ you stay here in this corrupt world, goddess? Could it be that you do not have the power to create change?"

"It is a secret that is forbidden. You mustn't learn it."

"No, I must. That is the difference between you and I. You are Time, and regardless of what happens it is your nature to go on. I am Light. I seek a solution, an answer to it all. I seek enlightenment to the dark of the unknown. And that is what I will do."

* * *

~black~

"Do you plan on destroying the equilibrium of this world?"

"I know now, Rhinne. Transcendents have power, for they are pillars of this world, withholding the weight of the skies and ensuring that the balance is kept. But they are nothing more than pillars to the heavens above. They may never be a part of heaven themselves, isn't that right?"

". . ."

"You have never cared, in your immortality. Neither you nor the World Tree has ever acted to bring the heavens down to earth."

"It is impossible."

"You told me that knowing the secret would be impossible, yet now I know. I will make that possible. I have seen the true answer, the light if you will. And I know now."

"Know what?"

"The answer, Rhinne, was always what I suspected it would be – power. And absolute power can only come from absoluteness. I have shed my light to achieve absolute darkness."

"You are wrong, Lucifer. Even as black light, you glow, for even the black light that you have become is light."

* * *

~white~

"You are a star within this world, sent to guide and to ensure balance."

"And how do I do that?"

"Your very existence makes it so, as does every action you take."

"_Every_ action?"

". . . Every action."

"I see."

* * *

~black~

"I once called you a star, Lucifer."

"And what of it?"

"A star lets out the most glorious light before its death so that a new star may be born from amongst its blazes."

"Are you telling me that I will die for a new star for shedding my light? Rhinne, once a star sheds its light, it becomes a black hole that swallows everything – even the brightest of lights."

"You are not a black hole."

"And you, Rhinne, are out of time."

* * *

~white~

"I will be reborn again and again, to fulfil the same duty in the same world filled with suffering and evil. Ground zero for every lifetime . . . it sounds quite tedious, to suffer the same atrocities over and over again."

"Your duty is one heavy with responsibility."

"I see no reason as to why I cannot create change and fulfil my duty at the same time. It is like you once told me, Rhinne – any action I take is one that restores the balance of Light within this world."

"My friend, even your fall may be that very restoring action."

"Then my choice is even clearer. I strive for change and seek the answer, or I fall in the process. Either way, I fulfil my important duty."

* * *

~black~

Will you fade away if you are forgotten, Rhinne?"

". . ."

"Then I will remember you."

* * *

AN: Lucifer is my hc name for the BM.


End file.
